A source-book of ancient history

Front matter

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Preface

This volume may be used in connection with any course in Ancient History. It is especially intended, however, to serve as an auxiliary to Botsford's "History of the Ancient World." The material has accordingly been arranged in chapters parallel to those of this text-book, to which references are constantly given.

Some of the selections have been translated by friends — especially by Dr. E. G. Sihler of New York University and Miss Rachel R. Hiller — and others by ourselves; but most of them have been taken from published translations, to which credit is duly given. Particularly in the case of excerpts from translations by scholars of recognized merit, we have followed the policy of making the least possible revision, even to the extent of allowing some inconsistencies in the spelling of proper names. Readers will thus be reminded that the spelling of Greek names is far from being standardized.

As to the use of the volume, we advise that the pupils read each chapter in connection with their study of the corresponding chapter of the text-book. The questions, which suggest the more important facts to be gathered from the selections, are to be regarded merely as examples. The teacher may modify or expand them according to the needs of the class. In the case of the more mature pupils, greater attention should be given to a study of the authors and to the critical appreciation of the selections than these illustrative questions indicate. In such work the pupils could advantageously use Murray's " History of Ancient Greek Literature;" Mahafly's vi Preface

" History of Classical Greek Literature;" Mackail's "Latin Literature;" Duff's "Literary History of Rome;" Teuffel and Schwabe's " History of Roman Literature;" and the histories of Greece and of Rome by Grote, Curtius, Holm, Mommsen, Duruy, and others. Historical criticism, however, involving the careful weighing of evidence and the valuation of the reliability of authors and documents, is an exceedingly complex and difficult work, which must in the main be reserved for students of University grade.

It is to be noticed that the questions rarely call for an expression of opinion as to the right or wrong, the folly or wisdom, of an action. It is true that when an act is obviously right or wrong, the character of the pupil may be strengthened by his being called upon to pronounce judgment; but nothing so conduces to superficial selfsufficiency as the practice of declaring off-hand opinions on subjects but partially and one-sidedly known. The power of discrimination, most essential to a well-developed mind, may be better cultivated by exercise in determining, for instance, what is relevant and what irrelevant to a given subject, what are the facts in the case and what is merely opinion, what are the essential elements of a given subject, and what are its connections with related subjects. In text-books the material is so selected and arranged as to train the memory more than any other mental faculty. The sources, on the other hand, while bringing the reader into close, almost personal touch with the individuals and events treated, have the advantage of presenting a body of raw material, on which the mind may exercise itself, especially in discrimination. The selections would be robbed of this value by excessive comment and by the elimination of all obscurities, un-

Preface vii

familiar names, and other difficulties. It will be a great advantage to the pupil to learn by experience that, without being able to pronounce every proper name or to clear up every difficulty in a given passage, he may yet extract useful information from it. With no detriment to himself or to others, he may learn, too, at an early age that neither teacher nor author is omniscient.

There are already in existence good source-books for Greece and Rome, to which references are given in Botsford's text-books in ancient history. To those who wish a greater amount of source material on Rome, woven into a connected, readable narrative extending from the founding of the city to the death of Marcus Aurelius, and abounding in interesting sketches of characters and customs, we recommend our " Story of Rome as Greeks and Romans tell it." The present volume may claim the unique merit of rendering Oriental sources available for high-school and college courses in ancient history. It includes, too, certain classes of sources for Greece and Rome not represented in other books of the kind. The aim, however, has been not novelty but usefulness.

EXPLANATIONS

Greece, Rome, and Ancient World are abbreviated titles of Botsford, History of Greece, History of Rome, and History 0} the Ancient World, respectively.

Words supplied by the editors are enclosed in parentheses.

The design on the cover represents a herm of Herodotus now in the Berlin Museum.

George Willis Botsford Lillie Shaw Botsford Mount Vernon, New York,

Book I The Oriental Nations

CHAPTER PAGE

I. Introduction to the Sources i

II. Egypt 5

III. The Tigris-Euphrates Valley 27

IV. Syria: The Phoenicians and the Hebrews 42

V. The Median and Persian Empires . 55

Book II Hellas

VI. Introduction to the Sources 67

VII. The Cretan and Mycenaean Civilizations 77

VIII. The Epic or Homeric Age 81

IX. Myth and Religion 88

X. The City-State and its Development 97

XL Economy and Colonization 103

XII. The Rise of Sparta and the Peloponnesian League hi

XIII. Athens: From Monarchy to Democracy 123

XIV. The Poets and the Philosophers 141

XV. The Ionic Revolt 152

XVI. The War Between Greece and Persia 162

XVII. The Delian Confederacy and the Athenian Empire 175

XVIII. The Age of Pericles 180

XIX. The Peloponnesian War to the Sicilian Expedition 211

XX. From the Sicilian Expedition to the End of the

War 218

XXI. Sicily: The Tyrant and the Liberator 241

ix x Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

XXII. The Supremacy of Sparta 247

XXIII. Thebes Attempts to Gain the Supremacy 258

XXIV. The Rise of Macedon 266

XXV. Alexander's Empire 276

XXVI. Greek Life and Thought 283

XXVII. The Hellenistic Age 297

Book III Rome

XXVIII. A. Introduction to the Sources 313

B. Italy and Her People 326

XXIX. Rome Under the Kings 334

XXX. The Early Republic: (I) The Plebeians Win

Their Rights 348

XXXI. The Early Republic: (II) Rome Becomes Supreme in Italy 361

XXXII. Roman Organization: Progress in Culture. . . 371

XXXIII. The First and Second Punic Wars 379

XXXIV. The End of Greek Freedom 389

XXXV. Growth of Plutocracy; Progress in Civilization 397

XXXVI. The Revolution: (I) From Plutocracy to Military Rule 417

XXXVII. The Revolution: (II) The Military Power in

Conflict with the Republic 433

XXXVIII. The Founding of the Principate; Augustus and

Tiberius 464

XXXIX. From Principate to Monarchy: The Claudian

and Flavian Princes 480

XL. The Period of the Five Good Emperors 502

XLI. Early History of Christianity 521

XLII. The Absolute Monarchy 527

XLIII. Some Aspects of the Decline 537

XLIV. The Northern Barbarians 544

XLV. Roman Life Under the Late Empire 558

XLVI. The Mohammedans and the Frankish Power . . 574 Index 585

A Source-Book of Ancient History

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION TO THE SOURCES At the opening of the last century almost our only Greek

r • e r • t- ti 1 l SOUrceS.

sources of information for ancient Egypt, Babylonia, and Assyria were the works of the Greeks. For the earlier history of the first two countries here named these writers See chapter

vi

had to depend largely on folk tales, which though not real history throw a clearer light on the customs and thought of the Orientals than could any narrative of events however detailed. Even at the present day, notwithstanding the vast accumulation of other sources, we are attracted to Herodotus, "the Father of History," who visited Egypt and Babylon about the middle of the fifth century B.C. In simple, charming style, he wrote down what he himself saw and what the priests and others told him of native history, religion, social customs, and achievements in engineering and architecture. Although we can place little dependence upon his account of earlier times, his own age he portrays with great fidelity. For geography, products, and to some extent customs we may still use Strabo, the famous Greek geographer who wrote in the first century of the Christian era. Scattered through Greek and Roman literature are many incidental but

i

Native sources for Egypt, Babylonia, and Assyria.

valuable references to the Orient, with here and there more extended summaries of history and chronology.

Our knowledge of that part of the world, however, has been vastly increased since the beginning of the nineteenth century by the decipherment of ancient scripts, first the Egyptian and afterward the Babylonian. The great value of these native sources lies in the facts (i) that they are nearly always contemporary with the persons, events, or conditions to which they refer, (2) that they are composed by natives and present therefore the native attitude of mind and mode of thought, (3) that their abundance and variety enable us to examine with great minuteness and accuracy all the activities of these nations in war, commerce and industry, the useful and fine arts, religion, morals, and science — in brief every field of thought and endeavor of the poor and lowly as well as of kings and officials. We are therefore especially well provided with the means of studying the Egyptians, Babylonians and Assyrians.

Of the peoples of Syria we have almost no early written records in addition to the letters found at Tel-el- Amarna, Egypt, described below. These letters, written in the fifteenth century by various governors of the Syrian cities to the Egyptian king, throw an interesting light especially on Palestine before its conquest by the Hebrews. Almost nothing has reached us from the Phoenicians, whereas the Hebrews created a rich literature in the books of the Old Testament.

The Persians were a race of warriors, and the inscriptions of their kings are, like those of Assyria, mainly a record of conquest and building. There remains, however, a considerable part of their sacred books comprised in the Avesta. The beginnings of these writings belong to Media. From that country they were adopted by the Persians,

Bibliography 3

who gradually added to them as their religion expanded. This entire body of writings, however, purported to be a revelation of God to his prophet Zoroaster (native name Zarathrustra). Although some modern scholars look upon this figure as a myth, it seems more probable that he was a historical person who lived in the latter half of the seventh century B.C. The religion he taught is Ancient called Zoroastrianism after himself, or Mazdeism, after his supreme God, Ahura Mazda. It is an interesting fact that of all the pagan worships which flourished in Egypt and southwestern Asia Mazdeism alone has survived to the present day. It is held by a sect called the Parsis, who, when the Mohammedans conquered Persia, 642 A.D. fled to India, where they are still settled.

BOOKS FROM WHICH SELECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE

The Holy Bible. New York: Hurst and Co.

Birch, S., editor, Records of the Past: Being English Translations of the Assyrian and Egyptian Monuments, i-xii (1875-1881). London: Samuel Bagster and Sons.

Sayce, A. H., editor, Records of the Past: Being English Translations of the Ancient Monuments of Egypt and Western Asia. New- Series, i-vi (1888-1892). Bagster and Sons. This series is indicated thus, i, 2 ii, 2 Hi, 3 etc.

Baum, H. M., and Wright, F. B., editors, Records of the Past. Washington, D. C: Exploration Society (a volume annually, beginning 1902). Referred to as (American) Records of the Past. It is devoted mainly to brief studies, but contains an occasional translation.

Breasted, J. H., editor and translator, Ancient Records of Egypt, 5 vols. Chicago: University Press (1906).

King, L. W., Studies in Eastern History, 3 vols. London: Luzac and Co. (1904-1907).

King, L. W., The Letters and Inscriptions of Hammurabi, vol. iii. Luzac and Co. (1900).

4 Introduction to the Sources

Harper, R. F., The Code of Hammurabi King of Babylon. Chicago: University Press (1904). Translation and commentary.

Darmesteter, J., The Zend-Avesta, 2 pts. in F. Max Muller's Sacred Books of the East, vols, iv, xxiii. Oxford: Clarendon Press (1880, 1883).

Herodotus, see p. 75.

Strabo, see p. 76.

1-4-

Chapter II

I. The Nile

The Nile, when it leaves the boundaries of Ethiopia, The Delta, flows in a straight line toward the North, to the tract called the Delta, then, cloven at the head, as Plato says, Strabo xvii. it makes this point the apex of a triangle, the sides of which are formed by streams. . . . An island is thus formed by the sea and the two streams of the river, called the Delta from its resemblance to the letter of that name A.

At the time of the rising of the Nile the whole valley is covered and resembles the sea, except the inhabited parts, which are on natural hills or mounds; the larger cities and the villages appear like islands on the distant prospect.

After having continued on the ground more than forty days in Summer, the water subsides by degrees in the same manner as it arose. In sixty days the plain is entirely exposed to view and dries up. The sooner the land is dry, so much the sooner the plowing and sowing are accomplished, and it dries earlier in those parts where the heat is greater. The country above the Delta is irrigated in the same manner, except that the river flows in a straight channel to the distance of about four thousand stadia unless where some island intervenes.

In later times persons learned by experience as eye-witnesses that the Nile owes its rise to summer rains, which

Farm labor is easy.

Herodotus ii. 14.

fall in great abundance in Upper Ethiopia, especially in the most distant mountains. When the rains cease, the fulness of the river gradually subsides. This was particularly observed by those who navigated the Arabian Gulf on their way to the Cinnamon country and by those who were sent to hunt elephants, or for such other purposes as induced the Ptolemies to send persons in that direction.

II. Fertility

They (the Egyptians) gather the fruit of the earth with far less labor than any other people. . . . For they do not toil in breaking furrows with the plow nor in hoeing it, nor in doing any other work in which men are employed in raising a crop; but when the river of its own accord comes up over the field and waters it and then withdraws to its bed, each farmer sows his field with seed and turns the swine into it; and when the swine have trodden the seed down, he awaits the harvest. Then he threshes by means of the swine and gathers in his crop.

The greatest pyramid.

Herodotus ii. 124.

The remains of two causeways are extant.

III. The Pyramids

After Cheops had ascended the throne, he brought the country into every manner of evil. First closing all the temples, he forbade sacrificing there, then ordered all the Egyptians to work for him. Some he bade draw stones from the quarries in the Arabian mountains about the Nile; others were ordered to receive them after they had been carried over the river in boats, and to draw them to the Libyan mountains. And they worked in groups of 100,000 men, each group for three months continually. Ten years of oppression for the people were required for making the causeway by which they dragged the stones.

The Greatest Pyramid 7

This causeway which they built was not a much inferior work to the pyramid itself, as it seems to me; for the length is five stades and the breadth ten fathoms; its high- A stade est point is eight fathoms; it is made of polished stones and was 600 feet.

engraved with the figures of living beings. Ten years were

required for this, and for the works on the mound, where

the pyramids stand, and for the underground chambers

in the island, which he intended as sepulchral vaults for No trace of

lllr , ii.-iiir tne canal can

his own use, and lastly for the canal which he dug from the now be found. Nile. The pyramid was building 20 years; it is square; each side measures 800 feet and its height is the same; the stones are polished and fitted together with the utmost exactness. Not one of them is less than 30 feet in length.

The pyramid was built in steps, battlement-wise, or Lifting maas some say, altar-wise. After laying the base, they lifted the remaining stones to their places by means of machines, lb. 125. made of short pieces of wood. The first machine raised them from the ground to the top of the first step; and when the stone had been lifted thus far, it was drawn to the top of the second step by another machine; for they had as many machines as steps, or they lifted the same machine, which was made so as to be easily carried, from one step to the other for the purpose of elevating the stones; for I give both methods as they were told me. At any rate, the highest parts were finished first, then the next, and so on till they came to the parts resting on the ground, namely the base. It is set down in Egyptian writing on the pyramid how much was spent on radishes and leeks and onions for the workmen; and I remember well the interpreter read the sum of 1600 talents of silver. Now if these figures are correct, how much more must have been spent on the iron which with they worked, and on the food and clothing of the workmen, considering the length of time which the work lasted, and an additional period, as I understand, during which they cut and brought the stones, and made the excavations.

The contracting parties.

Renewal of old relations.

IV. Treaty between Rameses II and the Hittites

A treaty of peace was signed between Rameses II and the Hittite King, 1272, the earliest treaty now extant. The following is the more important part of it. Breasted, Records oj Ancient Egypt, iii. pp. 165- 174-

The treaty which the great chief of the Hittites, Khetasar, the valiant, the son of Merasar, the great chief of the Hittites, the valiant, the grandson of Seplel, the great chief of the Hittites, the valiant, made upon a silver tablet for Rameses II, the great ruler of Egypt, the valiant; . . . the good treaty of peace and of brotherhood, setting peace between them forever. . . .

Behold, then, Khetasar, the great chief of the Hittites, is in a treaty relation with Rameses II, the great ruler of Egypt, beginning with this day, in order to bring about good peace and good brotherhood between us forever, while he is in brotherhood with me; and I am in brotherhood with him, and I am in peace with him forever. Since Metella, the great chief of the Hittites, my brother, succumbed to his fate, and Khetasar sat as great chief of the Hittites upon the throne of his father, behold, I am together with Rameses-Meriamon, the great ruler of Egypt, and he is with me in our peace and our brotherhood. It is better than the former peace and brotherhood which were in the land. Behold, I, even the great chief of the Hittites, am with Rameses, the great ruler of Egypt, in good peace and in good brotherhood. The children of the children of the great chief of the Hittites shall be in brotherhood and peace with the children of the

The Earliest Extant Treaty 9

children of Rameses-Meriamon, the great ruler of Egypt,

being in our relations of brotherhood and our relations

of peace, that the land of Egypt may be with the land of

the Hittites in peace and brotherhood, like ourselves,

forever.

There shall be no hostilities between them forever. Neither

party shall The great chief of the Hittites shall not pass over into the attack the

land of Egypt, forever, to take anything therefrom. Rameses-Meriamon, the great ruler of Egypt, shall not pass over into the land of the Hittites to take anything therefrom, forever. . . .

If another enemy come against the lands of Rameses, Defensive the great ruler of Egypt, and he shall send to the great chief of the Hittites, saying, "Come with me as reinforcement against him," the great chief of the Hittites shall come, and the great chief of the Hittites shall slay his enemy. But if it shall not be the desire of the great chief of the Hittites to come, he shall send his infantry and his chariotry, and shall slay his enemy.

Or if Rameses-Meriamon, the great ruler of Egypt, be provoked against delinquent subjects, when they have committed some other fault against him, and he come to slay them, then the great chief of the Hittites shall act with the lord of Egypt.

If another enemy come against the great chief of the Hittites and he shall send to the great chief of Egypt, Rameses for reinforcements, then he shall come to him as reinforcement, to slay his enemy. But if it be not the desire of Rameses-Meriamon, the great ruler of Egypt to come, he shall send his infantry and his chariotry and shall slay his enemy. . . .

If any great man of the land of Egypt shall flee and shall come to the great chief of the Hittites, from either a

IO

Extradition clause.

The document con- # tains a similar clause in favor of the Hittites.

The gods are witnesses.

town or. . . of the lands of Rameses-Meriamon, the great ruler of Egypt, and they shall come to the great chief of the Hittites, then the great chief of the Hittites shall not receive them, but the great chief of the Hittites shall cause them to be brought to Rameses, the great ruler of Egypt, their lord therefor. . . .

As for the words of this contract of the great chief of the Hittites with Rameses-Meriamon, the great ruler of Egypt, written upon this silver tablet; as for these words, a thousand gods of the male gods and of the female gods, of those of the land of the Hittites, together with a thousand gods, of the male and of the female gods of those of the land of Egypt, they are with me as witnesses to these words.

Ptah addresses Rameses II.

Ptah (artistgod), chief deity of Memphis; Num (Khnum) creator and protector; Hathor, goddess of love and pleasure, often in form of a cow.

V. Rameses II, Son and Second Self of the God Ptah- Totunen

This extract from a much longer inscription found at Abu-Simbel, Egypt, gives, perhaps better than any other passage, an idea of the divine perfection, majesty, and almighty power of the Egyptian king as the son and incarnation of the chief deity. Interesting is the incidental reference to the successful close of the war with the Hittites and to the king's marriage with the Hittite princess. Records of the Past, xii. 85-89.

Thus speaks Ptah-Totunen with the high plumes, armed with horns, the father of the gods, to his son who loves him. . . .

Num and Ptah have nourished thy childhood, they leap with joy when they see thee made after my likeness, noble, great, exalted. The great princesses of the house of Ptah and the Hathors of the temple of Tern are in festival, their hearts are full of gladness, their hands take the drum with joy, when they see thy person beautiful and lovely

Rameses II n

like my Majesty. .- . . King Rameses, I grant thee to cut the mountains into statues immense, gigantic, everlasting; I grant that foreign lands find for thee precious stone to inscribe the monuments with thy name.

I give thee to succeed in all the works which thou hast Success in

all underdone. I give thee all kinds of workmen, all that goes on takings.

two or four feet, all that flies and all that has wings. I

have put in the heart of all nations to offer thee what they

have done; themselves, princes great and small, with one

heart seek to please thee, King Rameses. Thou hast built

a great residence to fortify the boundary of the land,

the city of Rameses; it is established on the earth like the

four pillars of the sky; hast constructed within a royal

palace, where festivals are celebrated to thee as is done

for me within. I have set the crown on thy head with my .

own hands, when thou appearest in the great hall of the

double throne; and men and gods have praised thy name

like mine when my festival is celebrated.

Thou hast carved my statues and built my shrines as Rameses

the lncarna-

I have done in times of old. I have given thee years by tion of Ptah.

periods of thirty; thou reignest in my place on my throne;

I fill thy limbs with life and happiness, I am behind thee to

protect thee; I give thee health and strength; I cause

Egypt to be submitted to thee, and I supply the two

countries with pure life. King Rameses, I grant that the

strength, the vigor, and the might of thy sword be felt

among all countries; thou castest down the hearts of all

nations; I have put them under thy feet; thou comest

forth every day in order that be brought to thee the foreign

prisoners; the chiefs and the great of all nations offer thee

their children. I give them to thy gallant sword that thou

mayest do with them what thou likest. King Rameses,

I grant that the fear of thee be in the minds of all and thy command in their hearts. I grant that thy valor reach all countries, and that the dread of thee be spread over all lands; the princes tremble at thy remembrance, and thy majesty is fixed on their heads; they come to thee as supplicants to implore thy mercy. Thou givest life to whom thou wishest, and thou puttest to death whom thou pleasest; the throne of all nations is in thy possession. . . .

Power of the King Rameses, I have exalted thee through such marvelking's name. .

ous endowments that heaven and earth leap for joy and

those who are within praise thy existence; the mountains, the water, and the stone walls which are on the earth are shaken when they hear thy excellent name, since they have seen what I have accomplished for thee; which is that the land of the Hittites should be subjected to thy palace; I have put in the heart of the inhabitants to anticipate thee themselves by their obeisance in bringing thee their presents. Their chiefs are prisoners, all their property is the tribute in the dependency of the living king, the ffittite Their royal daughter is at the head of them; she comes to princess. soften the heart of King Rameses; her merits are marvel-

ous, but she does not know the goodness which is in thy heart.

VI. Hymn to Amon (Ammon)

When Thebes

became the Records of the Past, vi. 09 f .

residence of

Amon°(Am- * cr y' ^ e beginning of wisdom is the way of Amon, the rudder of mon, or truth.

A od e of the 1 ^ Th ° U art he that & iveth bread to him who has none '

city, became That sustaineth the servant of his house.

the supreme Let no prince be my defender in all my troubles.

and a stupen-' Let not my memorial be placed under the power

dous temple Of any man who is in the house . . . My Lord is my defender;

him- Ancient * know his power, to wit, he is a strong defender;

World, 16. There is none mighty except him alone.

The Nile a Deity

Strong is Amon, knowing how to answer, Fulfilling the desire of him who cries to him; The Sun the true King of Gods, The Strong Bull, the mighty lover of power.

VII. Hymn to the Nile

By the scribe Ennana. It represents the idea that "the Nile is the source of all life in Egypt, that it is the supreme god, mysterious, uncreated, the father of the gods and all things else, into whose secrets none can penetrate. He describes in a lofty style the benefits conferred by the Nile when it spreads its waters over the country at its annual return." Records of the Past, ill- a 48-54-

Adoration to the Nile!

Hail to thee, O Nile!

Who manifestest thyself over this land,

And comest to give life to Egypt!

Mysterious is thy issuing forth from the darkness,

On this day whereon it is celebrated!

Watering the orchards created by Re

To cause all the cattle to live,

Thou givest the earth to drink, inexhaustible one!

Path that descendest from the sky,

Loving the bread of Seb and the first fruits of Nepera,

Thou causest the workshops of Ptah to prosper! . . .

He brings the offerings, as chief of provisioning;

He is creator of all good things,

As master of energy, full of sweetness in his choice.

If offerings are made it is thanks to him.

He brings forth the herbage for the flocks,

And sees that each god receives his sacrifices.